COMPUTER GUTS 101
Overview
You will be helping participants identify the internal parts of the computer along with how they
are situated within the computer. You will need to do some background research into all of the
parts, but within the lesson plan there are plenty of resources to use as a basic overview. You will
show how to open the computer and how to take apart the computer. It is a fairly simple process,
but here are your main objectives:




Comfort with opening the computer – critical thinking on how to open a computer
Reason(s) to open the computer: cleaning, changing components, adding memory
Pros/Cons of opening your computer such as how cleaning can help shelf life, but if you start
unplugging things you may have problems.
Possible jobs for participants that are interested, can bring materials related to CompTIA A+
certification
Created by Anythink Libraries, 2012
Computer Guts 101
Purpose (Content)
The class will introduce the different parts inside the computer and get people comfortable with handling
these parts. There will also be discussion about what you need to take apart your computer, precautions
before opening the computer, and the courses or things you can do to learn more about this subject.
Targeted Audience
The audience is anyone with an interest in computers, including teenagers and adults. This class is aimed
towards more of a teen audience as they may not have access to computers.
Prerequisites
Must have experience with screwdrivers and some other tools used to open computers. As it is an
introductory course there are not many things people need to know.
Time
1.5 Hours
Objective
The objective is twofold, with the first step being able to assess the computer and decide how to open it
and then choose the correct tools to open the computer. The other main component is to be able to
identify all of the parts of the computer so you can prepare for choosing different parts for a computer.
Being able to recognize parts and brands will help as you work on any computers.
Materials




1 x Toolkit
1 x Computer
1 x Computer Opening Space
Tools for disassembly:
1. Phillips screwdriver (nonmagnetic)
2. Flathead screwdriver
3. ¼” nut driver
4. Needle Nose Pliers
5. Cable Ties
6. Anti-static wrist strap (optional)
7. Canned Air
Created by Anythink Libraries, 2012
Instructional Procedures
What are the main guts I am looking at in this computer?

Parts of the PC:
1. Motherboard – which has the
a. Central Processing Unit (CPU) performs most of the calculations of the computer
b. Chip set
c. RAM (random-access memory)
d. BIOS (Basic Input Output System)
e. Internal Buses – a subsystem that transfers data between different components inside the
computer
f. PCI Express (expansion cards such as graphics, land and physics processors)
g. Internal buses
i. PCI
ii. SATA
iii. ATA
h. External BUS Controllers (BUS controllers are also used to talk between different computers)
i. USB
ii. FireWire
iii. Esata
iv. SCSI
2. Power Supply – Distributes the electric current to all of the parts of the computer.
3. Removable Media Devices
a. CD – Plays CD-Roms (Read Only Memory) most of the time it works old CD’s and
computer programs
b. DVD – Plays DVDs, but also can play CD-Roms so you can interchange the two drives when
looking at changing/upgrading your
c. Blu-ray
4. Sound Card – Can produce different sounds and better (or worse or similar) sound quality.
5. Operating System
6. Hard Drive – The main component
7. CPU Fan – A smaller fan that sits on top of the CPU and the motherboard because the CPU needs
to remain the most cool it is important to have a fan on it.
8. Fan – Keeps the internal components of the computer cool. This is where you may need to bring
out the canned air.
9. Expansion Cards – Lets you add functionality to the different computers by connecting in
different things such as more RAM or different audio/video cards.
Created by Anythink Libraries, 2012

Tools for disassembly:
1. Phillips screwdriver (nonmagnetic)
2. Flathead screwdriver
3. ¼” nut driver
4. Needle Nose Pliers
5. Cable Ties
6. Anti-static wrist strap (optional)
7. Canned Air
When buying a motherboard it can be quite complex because there are many different sizes, which offer
many different features. The main formats are ATX, BTX, MicroATX, and MiniITX
They offer a range of usability because some are bigger, smaller, have different connections or use
different amounts of power. The Micro and Mini fit smaller cases, but offer fewer expansion slots and I/O
ports.
The processor may be the most important part of the PC. There are two different manufacturers AMD or
Intel. A motherboard works with one, but not the other. That means that if you buy a specific type of
motherboard you may be stuck with a different kind of processor. Processors require specific socket
types. Intel uses LGA775 (Socket T) and AMD uses Socket AM2. The AM2 socket will accept any
processor designed for it, but the same isn’t necessarily true for all Intel processors.
The motherboard can’t do the work alone. It needs RAM (Random Access Memory) to do most of the
heavy lifting. It is important to make sure that your motherboard supports the type of RAM you purchase
so that you do not get one and it is not compatible with the other. DDR2 RAM is the most popular type of
RAM on the market, but look at the motherboard to see what types of RAM it will support. Currently I’m
using DDR3 on my personal computer.
When thinking about the motherboard you want to think about the slots the motherboard has because this
will influence the rest of the equipment you will buy for the computer. You will have to think about how
many slots you have for a video card, sound card or any other item you want to stick in your computer. So
many of your decisions will be affected by the motherboard you choose. This will make your decisions
even more important because you have to choose the number of external ports. You will have to think
about the number of USB, SATA, Ethernet, mouse and keyboard ports as well.

How do I open up a computer?
Here are a couple of videos: http://youtu.be/0s_3KqMVSQI
Opening the computer is the fun part. It will take some patience and some time because all computer
cases open differently. There are many different online demonstrations of opening a computer. Each
computer is different so there may be different tricks to opening different computers.
Static can be one of your worst enemies. If you are statically charged you can fry circuits and destroy
breakers. To be safe with your computer be in a place that has low static charge and wear a wristband that
reduces static.
Created by Anythink Libraries, 2012
Before you start taking parts of the computer apart take a step back and look at all of the parts. They will
be different, but there will be some similarities. The first thing you have to do is make sure that all cables
are unplugged from the computer.


Unplug the fan from the motherboard it should be labeled (SYS_FAN1)
Unscrew the rest of the screws holding in the system fan and pull out the system fan.
Take out the CPU Fan, which sits directly on top of the CPU heat sink. There are four screws holding
onto the heat sink and also a cable plugging it into the motherboard. The heat sink is a bunch of metal fins
that sit on top of the CPU and the fan will cool the CPU.
Next stop is the power supply. The power supply has three cables connecting it to various parts of the
computer. It usually lies at the top of the computer and has the cable connection. Take out the screws and
unplug the cables and you are set.






CD/DVD Drives
Hard Drive and Portable Drive – Disconnect cables and disconnect all of the parts
Expansion Cards
Connectivity Center Cables
RAM (Random Access Memory)
Motherboard
Disconnect the Motherboard, CD/DVD drive[s] power, internal hard drive power, portable hard drive slot
power. http://www.instructables.com/id/Disassemble-a-Computer/

What will make my computer go faster or what can I do to make it go faster?
More RAM, more money on your video card

If I break it how can I fix it?
Taking it to a computer repair shop is not a bad idea.
Start considering different computer classes or
Closure
Spend the last ten minutes closing down identifying where people are feeling uncomfortable and answer
questions. Reinforce the different options that are available in websites and videos that people are can use
to remind them of where they can find information about computers. Reinforce that computers can be a
career. CompTIA A+ certification is one way to start a career in information technology. Show materials
that are available within the library and online that can begin their personal journey into computers.
Assessment
Have participants take a survey that talks about the highs and lows and if they gained the knowledge they
wanted. It is important that those coming in with little knowledge feel that they have seen the basics and
where they might go from here.
Created by Anythink Libraries, 2012
Resources – a few to help you out



http://youtu.be/0s_3KqMVSQI
http://www.instructables.com/id/Disassemble-a-Computer/
http://tips4pc.com/articles/computer%20maintenance/how_to_open_a_computer_case_safe.htm
Books



Upgrading and Repairing PCs by Scott Mueller
Upgrading & Fixing Computers for Dummies by Andy Rathbone
Fix Your Own Computer for Seniors for Dummies by Corey Sandler and Tom Badgett
Created by Anythink Libraries, 2012